Taking Care of Her
by Miss Effie T
Summary: Mary is sick and Joey takes care of her.
1. I'll Always Be There For You

Joey was looking for his girlfriend Mary. He hadn't seen her since their last class together which was science. After science he went to English and she went to Math. It was the end of the day and they said they would meet outside but she never came. Joey had just got to her Math class when Tami, Mary's best friend, ran out in front of him in a panic.

"Joey!" she yelled, "I'm so glad I found you, is Mary alright?!" she asked worried.

"What do you mean is she alright?" Joey asked, concern on his face now. "Where is Mary?"

"At the beginning of Math she told me she wasn't feeling good and went home," Tami said, "she told me that if she needed any help she would call you."

"I got to go see if she is ok! I'll see ya later!" Joey yelled as he ran through the school doors.

He got in his car and drove to Mary's house. He remembered Mary telling him that Dominique, Brit, and Bree had gone on vacation and left her tons of chores to do. _"Maybe she wanted to get a head start on chores."_ he thought as he pulled up in the drive way and parked. When he walked up to Mary's door he saw three to-do lists taped to the door. Each going at least a mile long. _"Guess not,"_ he thought seeing the lists, _"I hope she's ok."_ He knocked on her the door but there was no response.

"Mary," he called, "Mary its Joey." Still no response.

He got the spare key she hid in the bush next to her door. She told him where it was in case of emergencies. He unlocked the door and walked in to a disgusting sound. The sound of someone throwing up. But not just anyone. Mary. He walked up to the bathroom door and put his ear to it.

Ounce again he heard the sound of eaten food hit the toilet. He knocked on the door.

"Mary?" he said. He was rewarded with a whimper. "Mary its Joey, can I come in?" he asked with concern.

"J..Joey?" she asked in a whimper

"Yeah its me, can I come in?" he asked again with concern.

"Y..Yes," she whimpered, "please help me."

Joey opened the door to see Mary on the floor breathing heavily and some throw up on the side of her mouth. She was sweating and she had a dead look in her eyes. Joey was scared. He had never seen her like this. He sat down and pulled Mary onto is lap. When he set her on his lap she whimpered. He had her back facing him. He grabbed a towel and wiped her mouth. He felt her head. She was burning up!! He wet another towel and put it on her forehead.

"J..J..Joey?" Mary whispered grabbing onto his arm, as if to make sure he was there.

"Yes sweetie?" he asked, holding her tighter to him.

"Can you help me, I want to lie down." she said looking at him with tired eyes.

"Sure." he said.

He picked her up bridal style and carried her to her bed. He put her on her bed and pulled up the sheets. He was about to sit down in the chair in front of her bed until he heard her whimper.

"J..Joey please don't leave me," Mary pleaded, "I don't want to be alone."

"It's ok," he said getting under the sheets and holding her, "I'm not going anywhere until you get better."

"Thank you." Was the last thing Mary said before she fell to sleep in Joey's arms.

After about two hours Mary awoke to Joey holding her and singing a new version of Just That Girl.

crazy how you work that frame  
you and me we could change the game  
what's your secret what's your name  
Mary

to me you are a star  
when you move you're off the charts  
you've already won my heart  
Mary

you with me you're the star  
you don't have to play the part  
you can be just who you are

cause you're the perfect girl  
the one that's dancin through my mind  
the perfect girl  
the girl that I've been trying to find  
the perfect girl  
her style is crazy she's a dime  
and I already found her  
the perfect girl

"That was beautiful." she said looking at him with a smile on her lips. The smile he loved.

"Glad you liked it," he replied with a smile, "felling better?"

"Much," she said stretching, "Thank you for taking care of me."

"No thanks necessary," he kissed her on the lips, "whenever your sick or hurting I'll always be there for you, don't ever forget that."

"I won't" she said laying her head on his chest, " I promise."


	2. It Hurts

Mary's stomach growled. They had been siting on Mary's bed for at least 10 minutes in their own world.

"Ah, man your probably starving," Joey said snapping out of his trance, "we better get you something to eat."

"I just hope I can keep it down." Mary said as they walked to the main house.

When they walked into the kitchen Mary stopped. She remembered the kitchen being dirty, the sink piled high with dirty dishes, and crumbs all over the floor. This kitchen was clean, spotless, not a dirty plate in site. She gasped without knowing it and Joey smiled.

"Like what I did?" he asked walking into the kitchen with a smile.

"You did this for me?" Mary asked still surprised.

"Well..yeah!" he said, "I saw it on all your to-do lists and when I walked in the kitchen.... I saw why." he said. He turned to her with a hint of sadness in his eyes. "How could they expect you to do all that work?" he asked with a frown, " I mean your only one person." A silent tear slid down Mary's cheek.

"Not to them," she said her voice cracking, "I'm nothing, a slave, worthless, a piece of-"

"Mary!" Joey yelled, "don't you dare say that, don't even think that!"

"I don't have to think it because I know it!" Mary yelled back tears pouring down her cheeks.

Before Joey got to say anything else Mary fell to the floor shaking and coughing violently.

"Mary!" Joey screamed running over to her and holding her. She pushed out of his arms as her coughing got more violent. Before he could hold her again she threw up. But it was different this time. This substance wasn't food. It was blood!! Joey watched in horror as Mary coughed up the red liquid that was splattering the floor. She was laying on the floor looking just like she did in the bathroom but only this time she was laying in blood. She was staring at him with dead eyes again. He picked her up and held her tight as he started rocking her back and forth.

"I..It..hurts," she whimpered shaking again, "It hurts so bad." She started looking around the room as if looking for someone. "J..Joey?" she whispered, "where are you?"

"I'm right here," he said holding her tighter to his chest, "I'm not going anywhere."

After a while Mary's breathing was back to normal but she was a little pail. She sat with her head on the table as Joey made her some oatmeal to settle her stomach. When he went to go get some water from the refrigerator he saw a note for Mary. He could tell from the hand-writing it was from Dominique. It read:

_Dear worthless, gone for weekend. Clean house and do chores and if you get finished early do it again. Don't you dare touch anything valuable! We don't need germs! With disgust, __Dominique_

Joey couldn't believe what he had read! How could they treat someone as wonderful as Mary like this?! He shoved the note in his pocket and finished making the oatmeal. He put it in front of her then felt her head.

"You don't have a temperature anymore," he said with a smile, "thats good."

"Yeah." That was all Mary said before she started eating.

They didn't talk while she ate. Mary was looking at the oatmeal and Joey looking at her. Had he blinked he would have missed the tear that slip of Mary's cheek and into the oatmeal. She was crying. He got up, lifted her up, and cradled her.

"Why does she hate me so much?" Mary asked crying, "what did I do?"

"Nothing," Joey said kissing her forehead, "your perfect in every way."


	3. Hospital

All of a sudden Mary screamed in pain and grabbed her head.

"Mary!" Joey exclaimed, fear in his eyes. Letting out another scream Mary buried her face in his chest. She started hyperventilating.

"Mary, you have to try to calm down." Joey said holding her tight to him.

"B...But it h..hurts s..so m..much." she whimpered out.

Joey felt wetness on his shirt. He pulled back a little to see Mary had her eyes closed and blood dripping from the corner of her mouth. He wiped her mouth with his figure then he looked at her. She still had her eyes closed and she was breathing normally. She was asleep but she was whispering.

"Oh, Joey," she whispered, "please make the pain go away." She looked at him with pained eyes.

"I'm gonna make it go away," he said kissing her on the lips, "I promise."

She watched as he got the phone and dialed 911. "911 whats your emergency?" a lady asked over the phone.

"My girlfriend is very sick, I need help." Joey said putting his cheek on top of Mary's head.

He told the lady everything that happed and the address. She said they would be there as soon as possible. He sat on the floor rocking Mary back and forth, whispering to her.

"It's ok baby," he whispered softly, "help is coming."

She fell asleep after awhile and the ambulance showed up. The paramedics rushed in and gently put Mary on the stretcher. Joey road in the ambulance with her, not wanting to let her out of his site. When she had to go to the emergency room he waited in the waiting room. Joey stared at the floor not wanting to look up until Mary's doctor came out. After about 2 hours, Joey heard a voice.

"Mr. Parker?" Joey looked up to see Mary's smiling doctor.

"Hows Mary?" Joey said jumping up from his chair, "is she ok?"

"Miss Santiago had a hookworm eating at her stomach but not to worry," he said with a bigger smile, "we have successfully removed and killed it. "If you would like to see her, she is in room 212."

"Thank you." Joe said as he walked down the hospital hallway. He stopped right in front of room 212.

He opened the door to see Mary sitting up in the bed, looking at him. She was smiling. To him it was the smile of an angel. His angel. He ran over and embraced her.

"Mary!" he said as he kissed her happily, "I promise I won't let anything hurt you ever again."

She giggled and laid her head on his chest, listening to his steady heart beat. "It's a promise." she whispered as she lulled to sleep.

**THE END**


End file.
